Family History News and Views from Lisa Louise Cooke, host of The Genealogy Gems Podcast at www.GenealogyGems.com

Monday, January 3, 2011

Who Do You Think You Are Separated From By Six Degrees?

Last night I finally found time to curl up in front of the fireplace and read the biography of a favorite actor of mine, Claude Rains. (Image left) My daughter Vienna gave me the book, as we regularly get together and watch his old movies recorded on DVR.

As I made my way through the tales of the years of his youth in London, I came across a name that had surfaced during my Cooke family history research a few months ago: renowned British actor and theater producer Herbert Beerbohm Tree.

Rains got his start in early 20th century theater working for Tree at his Her Majesty's Theatre as a page and call boy, and was soon promoted to prompter. At the same time, London actress Roberta E. Munns (born 1876) was a hit on the London stage - specifically Herbert Beerbohm Tree's Her Majesty's Theatre stage. According to Grandfather Cooke's unpublished autobiography, his Aunt Roberta had become quite famous, most notably starring in the lead in The Eternal City.

Based on these accounts, the Six Degrees of Separation between a film buff (me) and Claude Rains emerges:

It's less than 6 degrees for me. My Great-uncle was William Edward "Bud" Jaimison, who played in all but two of the Three Stooges Movies, and in the 30 years of his career, beginning in 1915, appeared in over 400 movies.

My Great Aunt Ann Chauvin nee: Green married a chap by the name of Jules Pierre Chauvin. Together they had a son named Jules Thomas Chauvin who was a magician and stunt man of sorts (as well as a baseball player). He shared the stage lineup with the infamous Harry Houdini when there was an ongoing tour in Salem, MA.

My Great Aunt Annie Green married a chap named Jules Pierre Chauvin and together they had a son named Jules Thomas Chauvin who was a famous baseball player, juggler and magician. He (and sometimes his lovely wife Nina) performed in his home of Salem, MA. He shared the stage line-up with the infamous Harry Houdini.